The Immoralist Essay Topics & Writing Assignments

Essay Topic 1

Michel's conflict is due to his repressed homosexual desires that were very controversial in the late 1800s when the story was set and the early 1900s when the book was actually published. How would The Immoralist be perceived in today's day and time with our culture's standards?

Essay Topic 2

How does the use of the first person point of view affect the reader's perception of Michel and his story?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Menalque and Marceline as foils in The Immoralist.

Essay Topic 4

What is the importance of tuberculosis in The Immoralist?

Essay Topic 5

Discuss health as a motif in The Immoralist.

Essay Topic 6

What role does social class play in The Immoralist? To which social class does Michel belong? To which social class does Menalque belong?

Essay Topic 7

Discuss types of figurative language used by the author in The Immoralist.